Connector with preformed metallic tubular mounting bracket

Abstract

An electrical connector includes an terminal module and a metallic tubular shield fixedly enclosing the terminal module to form a sub-assembly, and a metallic tubular bracket enclosing the sub-assembly. The terminal module includes an insulator having a base and a tongue portion forwardly extending from the base, and a plurality of terminals disposed in the insulator. The base includes a rear end having a securing section, and the bracket has a fixing section correspondingly, wherein the bracket is adapted to be forwardly assembled from a rear side of the sub-assembly to have the fixing section engaged with the securing section.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector comprising:
 a terminal module including an insulator with a plurality of terminals disposed therein; 
 a pair of securing sections formed around a rear end of the insulator in a front-to-back direction; 
 a metallic tubular shield enclosing the terminal module to commonly form a sub-assembly; and 
 a metallic tubular bracket enclosing the sub-assembly with a pair of fixing sections formed around a rear portion thereof; wherein 
 the pair of fixing sections are preformed before the bracket is forwardly assembled upon the sub-assembly in said front-to-back direction; and 
 the securing section includes an abutment wall to prevent further forward movement of a corresponding fixing section. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bracket further includes a pair of securing tabs extending downwardly in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction around said pair of securing sections, respectively, said securing tabs located behind and adjacent to the pair of securing sections, respectively. 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said securing tabs are adapted to be soldered to a printed circuit board on which the connector is mounted. 
     
     
       4. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bracket includes a top wall welded upon the shield. 
     
     
       5. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said fixing section includes an L-shaped structure extending downwardly from the top wall. 
     
     
       6. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said securing section forms a recess in which the fixing section is received. 
     
     
       7. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said insulator forms a pair of recessions, and the shield form a pair of protrusions received within the corresponding recessions, respectively, for preventing further forward movement of the insulator relative to the shield, and a pair of stopping tabs abutting against a rear side of the insulator for preventing rearward movement of the insulator with regard to the shield. 
     
     
       8. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bracket is configured and dimension to allow the sub-assembly to be rearwardly assembled thereinto along the front-to-back direction. 
     
     
       9. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said shield is essentially in a circumferentially closed manner without openings while said bracket is essentially in a circumferentially open manner with openings due to mounting legs unitarily split and extending therefrom. 
     
     
       10. A method of making an electrical connector, comprising steps of:
 providing a terminal module with an insulator and a plurality of terminals disposed therein, said insulator further including a pair of securing sections around a rear end; 
 rearwardly assembling a metallic tubular shield upon the terminal module to form a sub-assembly; 
 providing a metallic preformed tubular bracket with a pair of fixing sections around a rear portion; and 
 forwardly assembling the bracket upon the sub-assembly to have the pair of fixing sections engaged with the pair of securing sections, respectively. 
 
     
     
       11. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said shield is essentially in a circumferentially closed manner while the bracket is essentially in a circumferentially open manner with openings due to mounting legs unitarily split and extending downwardly therefrom. 
     
     
       12. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said fixing section is of an L-shaped configuration, and said securing section forms a recess with an abutment wall in front of said recess. 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , further including a steps of welding the bracket to the shield. 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the shield forms a pair of protrusions, and the insulator forms a pair of recessions to receive the pair of protrusions therein to prevent further forward movement of the insulator relative to the shield, and said shield further include a pair of stopping tabs abutting against a rear side of the insulator to prevent further rearward movement of the insulator relative to the shield, wherein said stopping tabs extend from a top wall of the shield in an coplanar extended manner originally before the insulator is assembled with the shield while is downwardly deflected to final positions to abut against the rear side of the insulator after assembled with the insulator. 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said bracket further includes a pair of securing legs around a rear end thereof behind the pair of securing sections. 
     
     
       16. An electrical connector comprising:
 a terminal module including an insulator with a plurality of terminals disposed therein; 
 a pair of securing sections formed around a rear end of the insulator in a front-to-back direction; 
 a metallic tubular shield enclosing the terminal module to commonly form a sub-assembly; and 
 a metallic tubular bracket enclosing the sub-assembly with a pair of fixing sections formed around a rear portion thereof; wherein 
 said shield is essentially in a circumferentially closed manner without openings while said bracket is essentially in a circumferentially open manner with openings due to mounting legs unitarily split and extending therefrom; and 
 the shield forms a pair of protrusions, and the insulator forms a pair of recessions to receive the pair of protrusions therein to prevent further forward movement of the insulator relative to the shield, and said shield further includes a pair of stopping tabs abutting against a rear side of the insulator to prevent further rearward movement of the insulator relative to the shield. 
 
     
     
       17. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said bracket further includes a pair of securing tabs adapted to be secured to a printed circuit board and located behind and adjacent to the pair of securing sections, respectively. 
     
     
       18. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said mounting legs are located around a middle portion of the connector while said pair of securing tabs are located around a rear end of the connector.